Chronicles of Juan, the sleeping dragon of Budehuc
by DancingBrain
Summary: Something I thought up after watching reruns of Chinese MA movies. Rating might change in the future. Basically about Juan, his dojo, his father's defeat, and his relationship with Emily. Set a year after the Grassland wars.
1. Default Chapter

**Chronicles of Juan: the sleeping dragon of Budehuc**

**Chapter 1: The challenge**

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, or anything, from the Suikoden universe, except for the people I made up. Those belonging to Konami has signed a contract with me in order to get more than just 15 minutes of fame. Well, most of them anyway. The rest were threatened into signing.

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The fight for Grassland has ended. The grasslanders had returned to rebuild their damaged villages and tribes, and the Zexens had returned to their castles, not to close their doors on Grasslands once again, but to try to open it further. The Harmonian army had, likewise, returned to their posts, determined never to let such a disaster happen again. At least, not by their hands. Aside from them, there is another small group that, while not constituting an army, played a pivotal role in averting the destruction of the continent. A small castle town by the name of Budehuc.

It was a peaceful day, like most others after the war ended. Birds were perched on the branches of trees, singing the songs of summer. The men and women were walking around the town square, with its small, but beautiful fountain. The men, strangely similar to each other, and women, also strangely similar to each other, carried on their daily chores, thankful for the peace that reigned in the castle. It is the perfect picture of a rural paradise…

"JUUAANNN!!!!!!!!!!"

…OK…maybe not so perfect. A red haired girl wearing an oriental leotard was running around the castle grounds, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"JUAN! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!!!", on and on she screamed as she ran towards the stables, then into the castle basement, the food storage, the bath and ship, the storeroom, and so on until she finally crashed into something or someone and fell backwards. The person she crashed into didn't fare any better. As the redhead got up, she looked at the person, or thing, that she crashed into. It was a barrel with wheels and limbs. And it talks.

"BzztWatch where you are going, lady Emily! My body's only made of wood!", the barrel said with a metallic twang. Emily smiled sheepishly and scratched her head.

"Sorry about that, Gadget Z, but I am trying to find Juan. That idiot overslept and forgot his training again! That's the 3rd time this week!", she said. The barrel raised an arm to signify 'apology accepted'.

"Actually, I saw him going towards the gate just a few minutes ago. You might have missed each other", the barrel said as it stood up.

"Thanks! Just you wait, goldbrick gang boss…", Emily said as she dusted herself. Once that's done, she ran full tilt towards the gate. She managed to brake in time this time before she rammed into what looked like a small tin man with a skirt.

"Hey, Cecile, where's Juan?!", Emily asked the tin man, who turned with a lot of clanking to reveal that the tin man was actually a young girl with a suit of armor that's several times her size.

"Oh, if you're looking for him, I just saw him going back to the dojo. He said he wanted to get in some practice", she said in a strangely cute voice.

"Heh, that's a first", Emily muttered. "That slacker never comes into the dojo before noon. Wonder if it's going to rain", she continued as she walked back towards the dojo, not bothering to thank Cecile for that little bit of information. True enough, as soon as she stepped into the dojo, she could see the blonde bujutsu master clad in blue kimono striking at a wooden dummy set up at the back of the place.

She watched as he first threw a fast left palm to the face, which was swiftly followed with an elbow to the arm, done with the same arm. At the same time the elbow landed, his right hand shot out a spear-hand towards the neck, followed quickly with an advancing elbow towards the chest with the same arm. At the same time the elbow landed, his left palm struck the stomach of the dummy. He finished with a powerful right front thrust kick, making the dummy, and the dojo, shake.

It has been many months since she first trained with him, and it still surprises her how much power he could generate within his barrage of strikes. A normal person would have died by the second hit. An armored man, perhaps by the 3rd. A monster, well, it's almost surely dead by the last blow. She had the same kind of striking power. In fact, she can hit harder than him. She doesn't have the ability to chain as much as 10 strikes together, however. Juan told her it's because she's too 'rough' with her strikes. Whatever that means.

Juan noticed her looking at him and stopped his training sequence. He quickly turned and walked towards her. His steps were brisk, full of purpose. She had never seen him move like that outside of battles.

"Wh, what?", she said once Juan was standing right in front of her.

"I need to ask you a favor", he said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"If this is about helping teach your students while you're slacking off somewhere, forget it", she replied quickly, waving her left arm to emphasize the point. Juan waved his right in response.

"You're half right, but I won't be slacking off. I have some business to take care of", he said again. The look on her face and her crossed arms told him she didn't believe him. He sighed. "I need to do some intensive training for the next month. I won't have the time to train the students", he continued.

"You really think I'm going to fall for that?", she said slowly. Juan scratched his head and sighed again. After a moment of pondering, he pulled out something from within his robe.

"Read this", he said as he handed the thing to Emily. She took the tattered and somewhat soiled letter. It was brownish and folded in an oriental style. From Dunan, perhaps? She opened the letter after glancing to see where it is from. There was no address or sender identification, just a crimson rope binding the letter. It reads…

_You know who I am, master of Budehuc dojo._

_Prepare yourself, for I shall come to claim what is rightfully mine in 5 moons._

_I sincerely hope you will put up more of a challenge than your father._

Emily read through the 3 lines several times, making sure she didn't misread it. Satisfied, she handed the letter back to Juan. He took it and shoved it back into his robe. She looked into his eyes. She could see an intensity she never sensed before. He never gave much of a damn about pretty much anything. Not even when he's fighting for his life.

"Who was that from?", she asked. He frowned in confusion. 'Didn't she read the letter?', he thought.

"You read it. It was from the guy who killed my old man", he replied. Emily sighed. 'Men can be so dense', she thought, and talking about dense, Juan is right up there on her list.

"I know that. What I want is his name", she said. Juan formed an 'oh' with his mouth and nodded.

"No idea", he replied bluntly.

"What about his occupation?", she asked again.

"Beats me", he shrugged.

"Well, what about his style?", she asked for the 3rd time.

"Can't remember", he said, shrugging again. Emily sighed and slapped her forehead.

"Is there anything that you can tell me about this guy at all?", she asked again. Juan thought for a while, looking at the clouds for hints. After several seconds, he turned to her and shook his head. She sighed. Only Juan can forget all the details about his mortal enemy and not care about it.

"Well, you better train hard and beat him. If you lose, we might lose the dojo", she said. Juan's face fell slightly, just enough to be noticed. Emily wondered what this signifies.

"That's a given. He'll take it, and everything in it", he said. She sighed and shook her head.

"Well, we can always build a new one", she replied. Juan waved his finger in a 'no, no, no' motion, shaking his head while doing so. Emily frowned and looked at him questioningly.

"If it ever comes to that, I will have to rebuild the dojo alone, because when I said everything in the dojo, I meant _everything_", he said again. His tone of voice never changed, but the news still managed to sound ugly.

"Everything, as in…", Emily began, half-afraid to finish the sentence. Juan nodded.

"Everything, including furniture, food, students, and staff, and that includes you", he finished for her and walked off before she could say anything else.

'This can't be good', she thought, angry and worried.

'Well, as much as I hate to lose the family dojo, and my only staff member, I better prepare for it', he thought, nonchalant.

After leaving Emily to her thoughts, he entered the dojo and walked towards a sealed door. There were paper talismans stuck all over it. He placed his hand on the knob and turned it. The door opened with a rusty creak. The room behind it was full of dust and filled with cobwebs. It had remained untouched for more than 3 years.

It used to be a library of sorts, a place for storing valuable scrolls. They are all still here. Juan had memorized most of them by the time he turned 13, and had practiced and honed his skills using them. He sealed those that he doesn't know so that he could focus on what he already does. Now, as one of the greatest threats await him, he returns to seek knowledge once again.

He went to the back of the room and pulled out a small, dusty, rusty box. The locking mechanism had broken and could not be opened. He had to literally pry the lid off using his fingers. When it did came off, he took out the scroll hidden within and looked at the letters written at the side. 'Sui Lo Han', it said. He smiled and went out of the room. He locked the door again once he was outside.

'This scroll', he thought, 'will be the one thing to lead me to victory….I hope'.

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End of Chapter 1

AN: Kinda short…I hope it gets longer. Anyway, for this story, I will be borrowing heavily, or maybe not so heavily, from Chinese martial arts novels and Hong Kong martial arts films. Those of you who are familiar with this genre might know some of the stuff I'll be putting out later on in the story. I expect to borrow a few things from the Condor Heroes series, some from the King of Beggar movie, some from To Liong To(also known as Dragon Sabre and Heaven Sword…or something like that), and others the I can't quite put a name to yet at the moment.

Enjoy!

And review, please!


	2. Training and the truth about Belle, Mel,...

**Chapter 2: Training and the truth about Mel, Belle, and Sanae Y**

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A week has passed since Juan received the challenge letter.

Budehuc remained the busy rural castle it always was. Cecile continues to patrol the gate for anything that might resemble an invasion. In most cases these invasions consist of wild boars, holly leaves and trees, some wild birds, furballs, and other assorted wildlife around the region.

None of these possess any threat to the castle's inhabitants, but no one's complaining. It puts food on the table. Most of the time, anyway.

Thomas was sitting in his office, attending to some administrative duties. He possess a surprising amount of talent in handling the day to day affairs of the castle. Sebastian was quite delighted when he found out about this. It helps to have more than one person deciding what goes to where.

Piccolo still lives in his tent, defiantly refusing the call to the great beyond.

Same thing with Martha and Muto.

They lived as per normal. They sometimes wonder where Juan went, but since they always see him at the dinner table, and ha has a habit of disappearing for days on end anyway, no one suspected anything. Eike seemed to be more interested, but even if he knows, it is doubtful he will ever tell a soul.

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A girl wearing a kimono and carrying a naginata walked towards the Budehuc dojo. Following her was a pair of girls and a talking barrel.

The kimonoed girl was Sanae Y, the resident wife-in-training. Following her, a puppeteer by the name of Mel, with her hideous, yet cute, puppet on her right hand. Behind her was the resident engineering whiz, Belle, carrying her pink hammer. Following faithfully at her side was the talking barrel, Gadget Z.

When they reached the dojo, Sanae Y looked in through the doorway. Her bespectacled eyes darted around in an attempt to find someone, or something, within the crowd of students. Most of them were doing martial arts forms. Some others were sparring. Leading them all was the red haired second master of Budehuc dojo, Emily.

"So, did you see him?", Mel asked Sanae. Sanae shook her head.

"No. Looks like he didn't come today either", she replied.

"Where on earth could he have wandered off to? I desperately need to learn some new skills", Belle said. The girls had been bored with their current abilities, and wanted to ask Juan to teach them other ways to fight.

"Why can we not ask miss Emily to teach us? By my complex yet simple, bold yet subtle, incredibly superb, powerfully accurate algorithmic calculations, she should be a good enough teacher for us", the talking barrel stated. The girls thought for a bit before answering. Not from the complexity of that sentence.

"Well, for one thing, she only knows how to fight with her fists", Belle answered first.

"Truly, and her rough style is not very suitable for weaker women like us", Sanae Y continued.

"Yeah, and Mel missed him. No offense to Emily, but Mel just doesn't swing that way. Right, Mel?", Mel, or rather, Mel's puppet, said.

"BRANKY!!!", Mel yelled at the doll and proceeded to beat it against the dojo's wall. "HOW MANY TIMES DID I TELL YOU NOT TO SAY SUCH THINGS? ESPECIALLY ABOUT ME!!", she yelled as she beat her puppet. The others just watched silently. They know better than to ask during these episodes.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-wo-I-am-ow-sor-ow-ry-ow-ow-ow-I-won't-ow-wo-do-it-ow-again-ow-ow….", the puppet said as Mel continued to pound it.

"What are you girls doing here…?", someone said from behind them. They turned simultaneously and saw Emily frowning at them, hands on her hips. The noise Mel made caused her to come out since it was disturbing the class.

"Oh, miss Emily. Good afternoon. We were just searching for the super great, sublimely stately, extra noble, powerfully nonchalant master Juan", Gadget Z replied.

"Searching for him? What for?", she asked, already used to the needlessly complex way the robot speaks in. From the wall, Branky said something that sounded like 'befaus mhl mssses hmmm nf hss beuchflll bdy' before it was pounded back into the wall.

"We just wanted to get some training done, and he seems to be the person to look for", Sanae answered. Emily looked at her and tried to decide on an excuse. Juan had specifically told her not to tell a soul about his training.

"W,well, he…uh, had some business to attend to, like, like…..trai, tri, tea, tea potting, yeah, that's it! He had to, to, to, plant some tea trees with Barts! Yeah! He probably won't be back for a while, so I will be teaching in the meantime", she said. The girls stared at her. They could tell she was lying. She never was a good liar. Teas don't grow in trees, and Barts' field is already full since a month ago.

"Emily…if you're jealous, just say so. No need to hide your boyfriend from us", Belle said. Emily's face turned beet red.

"He, he's not my b,b,b,boyfriend!", she shouted, loud enough to be heard within a 500 meter radius. The other girls looked at each other. Denial, the surest sign that love is in the air…or IS it…?

"Oookay…if you say so. We'll be going then", Sanae said and the girls left after waving goodbye to the fuming Emily.

After they left, she returned to the dojo and ordered the students to continue with their training. 'You better be training hard, Juan, or I'm gonna kill you myself', she thought as the students continued training.

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Mount Hei-Tou is a peaceful and dangerous place. There's a river running through it, complete with waterfalls. The base of the mountain is home to some low-level monsters. Nothing to cause worry to experienced travelers, though. It is at the summit that the strong ones gather. No one has yet explored the summit, and so, no one really knows what's up there.

The summit of the mountain is colder than the base and is filled mostly with rocks and barren soil. A very different sight to the lush vegetation at the base. Not all is quiet here. There are loud thuds and smacks as a man dressed in blue kimono took down monsters left and right using his bare hands, and feet.

Juan had been training non-stop for the whole week, only taking breaks when it is time to eat. Other than that, he's fighting monsters and reading the scroll 24/7. It is not too far from Budehuc, and the distance makes it perfect for his stamina training.

A boar charged from behind him. Not bothering to turn, he dropped face first to the ground, supporting his body with his arms, and kicked upwards with both legs. The attack connected with the boar's jaw and it flew 3 meters in the air, landing with a thud, unconscious and with a broken jaw.

A bird in front of Juan attacked next, flying up and crashing towards him with talons outstretched. Juan didn't change his movement. The momentum from his kick carried his whole body in an arc, bringing his feet up and forward with his hands as the axis.

Before the bird could land its attack, Juan's legs had dropped on its head and body. It crashed down to the ground with Juan's legs and hip pinning it to the ground. Not wasting any time, Juan placed his insteps on the sides of the bird's head and flipped his body, changing position from face up to face down, and broke its neck.

A wolf attacked from his right, lunging forward with fangs bared, ready for a bite. Juan swept his whole body along the ground in horizontal circle and connected with a kick towards the side of the wolf's head, breaking its lunge.

Before the wolf had a chance to recompose itself, Juan grabbed its head with his legs again and pulled as he arced his body upwards into a handstand. As the wolf's body became vertical to the ground, he simultaneously pulled both legs downwards as he threw his head up. When he reached a standing position, there was a sickening crunch as the wolf's snout was smashed into the ground and broke into smithereens.

Juan was not done, however, and he immediately dropped into his sleeping Buddha position. His body dropped sideways and his right elbow, the one he usually used to support his head, smashed into the wolf's skull. Another crunch sounded as the skull broke, killing the wolf.

A stone golem suddenly came out from the bushes and started lumbering towards him. Juan rolled along the ground on his sides and, with a motion that seemed to defy the rules of physics, leaped upwards, still spinning horizontally with his head as the axis, and with his sides facing the golem. Using his strong momentum and spinning motion, he kicked the golem several times, going upwards and forwards with each spin.

His first kick halted the golem. His second produced a loud thud from its chest. The third produced another loud thud and created a hairline crack on the golem's chest. His fourth kick worsened the crack and forced it backwards. Juan landed after his last kick in a face-down position, but he was not done. Quickly drawing up his body and legs together, he kicked back and launched his whole body forward, spinning like a bullet, palms in front of him.

He struck the cracked spot and threw the golem back against a cliff wall, where it shattered into thousands of small pieces. He rebound after the impact and landed in a half-crouch, one foot in front of him.

Done with this batch, Juan stood up and yawned. 'Only four this time…I wonder if I'm using them up too quickly', he thought as he walked towards a rock that he used to meditate and study his scroll.

"Impressive. What kind of style is it?", a voice suddenly said from behind the trees. Juan turned in the general direction of the voice and slipped into stance.

"Who's there?", he asked. The stranger walked out of the trees. He was a tall, large man with unkempt shoulder-length hair and an eye patch. He wears a black coat that seems to be reinforced with plates along certain parts(no, not his privates). "Oh, It's just you, sir Geddoe", Juan said when he saw who it was.

"I can't believe you still call me 'sir'. Save it for someone who deserves it", the man in black said and stepped closer towards Juan's position.

"Well, I can't really think of anyone else deserving that title", Juan replied and relaxed from his stance. It is not often he called other people 'sir', or 'ma'am', or anything of that sort.

He called Hugo, the blonde Grasslander Flame Champion who saved Grassland, Hugo. Nothing added or subtracted to it. He called Chris, the female captain of the Zexen knights and holder of the True water rune, the 'prematurely aging lady', or 'white haired knight', or just plain Chris, only calling her Lady when there's official business. Needless to say, this trait does not make him too popular with the more affluent people.

The only person he called 'sir' on a regular basis is Geddoe. He recognized the strength and wisdom the True Lightning rune bearer has. The wisdom that can only come with old age and many experiences, good and bad.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Anyway, what kind of style was that? I have never seen anything remotely resembling what you just did", Geddoe replied. He is more used to being called boss than sir. Juan was about to answer when a crazy idea suddenly popped into his head.

"You know, if you're so interested in the style, why don't you help me train a little bit? I seem to have fought too many monsters around here", Juan said with a half-grin. Geddoe stared at him for a good minute or so. He didn't think that anybody in their right mind would even consider going up against a True Rune bearer without one of their own.

Still, the young man standing in front of him is no ordinary man at all. He had seen what Juan could do. He could take down tough enemies in a matter of seconds, provided the enemy could be hit physically. If Geddoe, Chris, and Hugo didn't have true runes, he had no doubt that they would all be defeated by Juan easily. He truly deserves to be the master of Budehuc's dojo. That being said, it might be good exercise to fight against him.

"…Alright. Let's see what you've got", Geddoe replied as he drew out his sword. The sword crackled with electrical energy as soon as its blade was fully exposed to the air, as if relishing its freedom. It's just one of the side effects of being a True Rune bearer for more than a century.

"Right then. Anytime you're…yawn…ready", Juan said and went into a strange stance. He stretched and yawned like a sleepy person, and started to fall sideways to the ground. He never touched the ground with his head however. His right arm supported his head, and his left hand held on to his left leg, which was placed over his right kneecap. His body was supported only with his right leg at approximately 45 degree angle from the ground, leaning to the right. As Geddoe watched, he began to snore.

Geddoe was intrigued, to say the least. That posture may look stupid, but no normal person can do that. He'd need extremely strong legs and an incredible sense of balance. 5 minutes passed with the fighters just standing in their stances. After checking all his options, Geddoe finally made his move. He charged straight forward, intending to slash diagonally at Juan.

At that moment, Juan opened his eyes…the battle begins…

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The café in Budehuc castle was filled with people as usual. It serves as the dining room for the castle inhabitants, and during the war, at least a hundred people would gather there for lunch, breakfast, and dinner. It was dinner time, and the residents had gathered there for their usual meal. There was one seat that was noticeably empty beside Emily. That seat belongs to Juan. He was always late for dinner, and Emily had taken it upon herself to always reserve a space for him in order to avoid any incidents with the guests.

It had been nearly half an hour, however, and she was getting a little worried. He usually came in at approximately 5 minutes after dinner begins. Even during this period of intense training, he always came in at most 15 minutes after the appointed time. She had a plate of baked soft-shell crabs in front of her, but she hadn't touched it yet. She had a habit of waiting for him to come in before she starts eating.

'What the heck is keeping him?', she thought to herself.

As if on cue, 2 figures stepped into the light of the outdoor café lamps. It was Juan and Geddoe. Juan looked fine, but his clothes had been cut, tattered and singed in some places. His hair was also frizzier than usual. Geddoe was walking with a visible limp. His left hand hung at an odd angle, possibly broken, and he was clutching his ribs with his right hand. There were also a lot of bruises on his face. His clothes were also torn in places. Juan was supporting him, helping him walk.

Everyone in the café stopped whatever they were doing and looked at the 2 of them. They could easily recognize the 2, but it's not easy to guess what kind of monster could have injured a True Rune bearer that badly. What was more surprising was that Juan was almost untouched. Geddoe swept his eyes across the room and deduced what they wanted to ask. Without a word, he and Juan went up to a small podium near the café's counter. It had been used several times before as a small, makeshift stage for speeches and pep talks.

"I know many of you are wondering why I, a True Rune holder, came to be in this state. That matter can wait for another day. I am more concerned about the upcoming Firebringer Reunion. As I am sure you all remember, the reunion will take place in approximately half a month. Chris and Hugo should be arriving tomorrow, along with my team, as well as Duke's. I am here today to bring you this news and scan the grounds only. That is all", he said in a loud but calm voice. Geddoe was not one for speeches. He could only make a speech when there is something really important to say.

When he finished, he went down from the podium, assisted by Juan, who then handed him over to a man in oriental robes with a ponytail on his head. Following him was a nurse who quickly jotted down Geddoe's injuries as the doctor spoke. They started to check Juan as well, but he insisted he was fine and went off to his chair, ignoring the doctor's pleas.

"What the heck happened to you two?", Emily asked him as soon as he took his seat. He ordered his special training diet to a male waiter before answering her.

"We just met each other while I was training in the mountains and I asked him to spar with me. He became like that because he refused to use magic", he replied.

"You're lying. Even if he did not use magic, I'm sure his swordsmanship is excellent. How could you have injured him while fighting bare handed?", she said. Her purple eyes looked into Juan's, challenging him to say she was wrong.

"You're wrong. It's true his swordsmanship is excellent, even better than Chris, or any of the Zexen knights, for that matter. He has a lot of power behind every stroke, and his accuracy is above average. He also links his attacks very well for such strong hits. Remember, however, that I had trained him before, and I know he has weaknesses. For one thing, he's not too fast. For another, I have been training intensively for the past week, and it's showing results", he explained. He stopped when he saw his food arrive.

It looked like a simple meal, consisting of only several pieces of leaves, some seeds, a chunk of meat, and potato and rice on the side. The truth was, the leaves were from a very rare type of herb that can only be found in the mountains, and had to be processed in order to remove the poison. It works to increase strength, stamina, and improve concentration. The seeds were from different types of herbal fruits and trees. These work to regulate body functions in times of intense physical and mental activities. The meat, rice and potato was nothing special.

"What kind of training were you doing at Mt. Hei-tou, anyway? People have been asking all sorts of questions about you. It's as if I'm not qualified as a bujutsu instructor", Emily asked as she began to eat her now cold crabs.

"Well, technically, you're not", he replied in between bites. Emily narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Now, what exactly do you mean by that? I'm the one who has been doing all the teaching while you're off snoring somewhere!", she said. Juan looked at her. He was still eating and only spoke again when he finished his current bite.

"Well, then….tell me, who, in this castle, have you trained?", he asked. Sharon put a finger to her forehead and tried to remember. When she was done, she looked at Juan again.

"Shabon, Nei, Joker, Kenji, and….", she replied. Juan nodded and proceeded to take another bite before he spoke.

"Is there anyone munch on your list that doesn't use fists as weapons?", he asked. She opened her mouth, but realized that she never taught anyone who used weapons before. Juan saw this and spoke again. "See, that's why I said you're not qualified. A true bujutsu instructor needs to know at least the workings of weapons of all kinds. If possible, one should master them all, so that when he teaches others, he can show them precisely what to do. That kind of mastery takes years to achieve", he said.

"But I'm a fighter who is at least equal in skill to you. That should count for something!", she said, her face turning red. Juan shook his head.

"My father was one of the best instructors in our family line, but he was not the best fighter. I have seen him make killing machines out of inept farmers in less than a month…But he was killed when he fought against the dojo-destroyer", Juan replied. His eyes had fallen to his plate and his voice had gone softer when he said the last sentence. Emily's red face turned back to normal when she saw this and she was unable to say anything for the next few minutes.

"Hey, Juan, over here!", a female voice said from behind Emily. She turned in that direction and saw Belle, Mel, and Sanae Y. Gadget Z was conspicuously absent. Belle was waving her hand as she walked towards their table.

"Oh, hey, barrel lady. Do you need something?", Juan replied. Emily smacked him in the head with a jug.

"Be polite, Juan. Her name is Belle", she said to Juan, who was now rubbing a bruise at the back of his head.

"Yeah, yeah, alright. You don't have to hit me! Anyway, do you girls need something?", he whined. The girls looked at them, amused. Belle was going to speak when Branky interrupted.

"See, Juan, it's like this. These girls want to beep your brains out. Especially Mel. See, they wants you to beep them in the , then the ##$, and &!. Mel's greedy, so she wants you to beep her everywhere at once. They don't mind Emily joining in too", the ugly doll said before anyone else could say anything. Silence reigned in the café for several minutes. Everyone within earshot was staring at them, and they were too stunned to say anything. Mel was the first one to recover and quickly slammed the doll repeatedly against Juan's table.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT SAYING SUCH THINGS!!!!! ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC!!! BAD BRANKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!", she shouted as she continued to beat the doll. It tried to protest, but the beating was too severe for it to make more than 'ow' sounds repeatedly. The girls, including Emily, were blushing so badly, they made tomatoes look white.

"What was that doll talking about, me beeping you girls, and what the hell's a ##$ and &!?", he asked, nonplussed. Now the attention shifts towards him.

In another table…

"What's beep? And ##$? And &!?", Thomas asked Cecile who was beside him. She turned red and tried to say something for a few minutes, but gave up and told him to ask a grownup instead.

Back to Juan…

"You really have no idea what beep is?" Belle asked Juan, disbelief in her voice. He shook his head while Sanae said something about lending Juan her betrothal and marriage training books. Mel had stopped banging Branky on the table and was sweating like mad. The doll had become limp, as if unconscious. Given the beating it just took, that might just be the case. Emily was still too shocked to say anything while the female cook, Mamie, tried to convince everybody that this is a rare occurrence and that the café is usually very family oriented.

"Nope", Juan answered. He was too busy training, and sleeping, during his youth to learn such things.

"In that case, let's just forget about it", Emily said quickly when she saw that Sanae raising her left hand with index finger out. That meant she was about to explain something, and in this situation, that is not what she wanted.

"Anyway, you were saying something about training, right?", he said. Mel nodded without saying anything. It's as if Branky had somehow acted as her vocal chord the whole time. "Well, I can't train you for the next few weeks, so Emily will have to do the honor. Now, if you'll give me some details, I'll make your schedules, and Emily can train you based on that", he continued.

They all nodded and sat on the table. Emily watched as they discussed their latest arrangement. She sighed and looked at the sky. This might turn out to be a very long month.

----------

End chapter 2.

I had to censor some words to keep the rating. To those who knows what those missing words are, good for you. To those who don't , well, I'll leave them to your imagination. Don't think too much about Gadget Z's words either. Most of them are gibberish in the guise of good old English language.


	3. The heroes and the battle in the mountai...

**Chapter 3: The heroes & the fight in the mountain.**

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Budehuc castle was a busy place, and at no other time is it so readily apparent than today. A large crowd had gathered around the fountain, with at least half of them spilling over into the castle grounds and the gate, inside and outside. The reason for this is written in big bold letters on a banner hanging over the castle gates. 'WELCOME BACK, FIRE BRINGERS', the large banner said in bold red ink.

Most of the castle staff were doing crowd control duties, telling people no to get too close to the barrier line which was set up to create a pathway for the main attraction. Mamie was busy in the café filling orders left and right, and she was having a blast. Cecile was in charge of the crowd control team, which consists of Emily, Sanae Y, Gadget Z, Belle, Mel, Muto, Wan Fu, Kenji, and all the Stars of Destiny left in the castle who had the ability to fight. It's not a large force, but they have to make do.

Juan was conspicuously absent from the scene. He had gone for training as usual in the mountains. He would usually be in charge instead of Cecile, thanks to a much cooler head and a little more experience. She was doing all right, though, for now.

---------

A young man with spiky blonde hair was looking across a small plain. He was standing close to a forked road, looking at the point where the road branched off to create a path to a large castle.

"It has been a while, isn't it, Hugo?", an elderly duck said as he came up beside him. He was wearing green clothing with a helm on his head. Slung over one shoulder was a halberd, its head in the form of a crescent axe. Hugo, the blonde man, smiled and nodded. He had grown a lot taller compared to his Fire Champion days.

"It sure has, Sergeant. I wonder how the people are doing", he said and rested his left elbow on the handle of his Karayan saber. He had given up his small knife for a saber made by Peggi, customized especially for him. It handles surprisingly well for a weapon the size of a sword, and is lighter than it looks. The blade was reminiscent of a Calerian scimitar, but it had been modified to suit Hugo's new fighting style.

Juan was the one who trained him upon Beecham and Lucia's suggestion. He was adamant about it at first, but he caved in quickly when his Lucia threatened him about riding in the morning. His training went slowly at first, but he picked up pace as soon as he got the basics down. He is now without a doubt one of the best fighters in Karaya. He had even earned a special rune that allows him to fully utilize the potential of his weapon.

"I'm sure they're doing fine, boy. I just wonder where Fubar is. We can't walk into the gates without the hero's trusty steed now, can we?", Sgt. Joe replied. Hugo laughed and pursed his lips. He let out a shrill, long whistle. A second later, a similar shrill sound replied, followed by the sound of beating wings. Both of them looked up to see a creature that looked like a composite of an eagle and a lion.

"There you are, Fubar. Come on, let us go", Hugo said and led the gryphon towards the castle. It had a lot of scars all over its body and face, souvenirs of the war. Hugo began to whistle a Karayan song as they walked towards the castle gates. He couldn't wait to see everyone again.

---------

"Are you sure this is a good idea, milady", a blonde young man in plate armor riding a horse asked the woman beside him. She had silver white hair and a beautiful face. She is also wearing plate armor and carrying a sword, and she's on horseback. Her hair was usually tied into two buns, but she let it fall down her back today. She may be wearing armor, but she was sure there's nothing that truly requires her to keep her hair out of her eyes.

"Why would it not be, Borus? I surely missed the company we had, and being cooped up in my house is getting truly bothersome", the woman replied. A big, burly, brown man behind them laughed heartily. He was dressed in a similar set of armor, but he had spikes on his shoulder guards, and some parts of his armor were different. He had a thin mustache and long hair that was tied back.

"I understand your predicament, Captain Chris. The soldiers at Brass Castle and Vinay del Zexay do not provide nearly as much challenge as sir Wan Fu and sir Hallec. Not to mention sir Mua and sir Nicolas. Ahhh….what I wouldn't give to fight with sir Geddoe again. He is the only man I cannot defeat in combat", said the large man. Another man beside him chuckled. He had swept-back hair which is truly hard to explain in an age where hair gel has not been invented. He was wearing armor similar to Borus, the blonde knight.

"Come now, sir Leo. Surely there are other things of interest in Budehuc castle other than the fights? I mean, look at the ladies. Surely there is one that piqued your interest? I know that sir Roland has had his eyes set on the traveling troubadour…..lady Nei, if I am not mistaken?" he said and turned to an elf with purple hair who was wearing a suit of chain and leather armor. He had light purple hair, which had grown considerably longer since the war and hangs down his shoulders. He started to blush lightly and tried his best to look uninterested.

"I, I am not amused by your human jokes, sir Percival", the elf answered. Another blonde man beside him smiled. He was wearing armor like the others, but his was hidden under what looked a robe for nobility, red and yellow in colour. His hair was shaped like a bowl. Why he chose that kind of hair, nobody knows.

"Well, now. This is a rare occurrence. Sir Roland, the resident calm elf, is blushing, and stuttering. I have never seen you this nervous before", the blonde man said and chuckled.

"It must be true then, sir Salome. Sir Roland is indeed in love with lady Nei", a young boy riding a pony said beside him. He had handsome features, and he's clad in leather armor. He was still too small to wear plate armor, and he's still technically a squire, but his duties were no longer as helper of the knights. He is in combat duty now. He wasn't very happy about the change, but he got used to it after a few battles. He is not exactly the best footman in the Zexen army, but there is potential there.

"As much as I'd like for this conversation to continue, Louise, I must regretfully inform that we have arrived", Chris said as the group came closer to the castle gates. As she looked around the entrance, she spotted someone. "And we share our arrival with a friend", she continued and walked up to a blonde man leading a gryphon and a duck. Hugo turned around and faced them when he heard the sound of their horses' hooves.

"Morning, Lady Chris. You're looking fine as always", he said with a smile. Chris returned it as she dismounted from her horse. The rest of the knights did the same.

"Thank you for your kind words, Hugo. You seem well", she replied. Leo laughed heartily and approached Hugo.

"More than well, it seems to me! You have grown quite a few since we last saw you", he said, roared, actually. Hugo smiled sheepishly and scratched his head.

"Well, glad to see all those milk haven't gone to waste", Sgt. Joe said as he looked back and forth between Hugo and the knights.

"SERGEANT!", Hugo yelled as he snapped his head towards the duck and put his index finger to his lips. The others laughed loudly as Hugo started to turn beet red. Roland suddenly drew the short bow he slung on his back and aimed at the bushes directly to the east, 50 meters from their position. He let loose an arrow. To his surprise, a much bigger arrow flew up and met his arrow midway. The big arrow shattered the small one and clattered to the ground after flying a few more meters. The others turned to look at what just happened.

"Yo, calm down, ya crazy elf! It's just us, Harmonian Frontier Defense Force, 32nd division!", a loud, high-pitched male voice called out from behind the bushes. The person came out moments later. He was a rough-looking man wearing leather armor, multi-colored. On his belt was slung a pair of sais. His dark brown hair was full of leaves and twigs.

"Well, ain't their fault, Ace. Even the great Joker, that is to say, yours truly, would've done the same thing if it was me up there", another man walked out of the bushes. He's an old oriental man wearing purple robes. His black hair was tied in a small ponytail. Before they could do anything else, another arrow, smaller this time, flew out of the bushes, whizzing in between their heads and flying straight for Borus. Hugo surprised them all when he intercepted the arrow, breaking it into two when he swung his blade at it. Borus had not even begun to draw his.

"Come now, Aila. Someone could have been hurt", Hugo called out to the person behind the bushes who let loose that arrow. A Karayan girl stepped out with a triumphant smile on her face. Ace and Joker immediately set on her, accusing her of trying to kill them with that stray arrow.

Her hairstyle had changed from the one she had a year ago. It now hangs loosely on her shoulders, with some tied at the back. She had changed it when she found out that her old hair style was not very common among Calerians, and it made her the center of attention. Her current clothes were bought in Holy Harmonia, a set of blue and white leather and cotton armor that allows free range of movement and has some magic-channeling properties, which helped boost her abilities as a tracker.

"C'mon, Hugo. I just wanted to test his abilities. That arrow would have flown straight over his head even if you did not block it", she replied. Hugo felt a little shock when he heard her speak. She still spoke with a Karayan accent when they last spoke a year ago, but she speaks like a mercenary now, rougher, calmer, and more to the point. A palm suddenly smacked the back of her head. She ducked from the impact and held the spot where she was hit with both hands.

"Cut it out. You nearly started the next war between Grassland and Zexen. You know what Geddoe would do if that happens, don't you?", a woman wearing greenish-blue jacket on top of black shirt said as she came out of the bushes. Her hair was done in a strangely concise manner, keeping most of her probably shoulder length hair out of her eyes. On her waist was slung a slender sword which looks light enough to be twirled around. "Same goes to you, Jacques", she continued.

Silence….

"You can come out now…", the woman said again. A young man wearing a blue coat and what looked like a white sweater underneath stood up just inches beside her. He didn't say a word as he folded his incredibly big bowgun and slung it behind his waist. He wore a thick and broad bandana on his forehead, keeping his blond hair out of his eyes, and had a small ponytail. "Forgive these two, if you will, Lady Chris. They didn't mean any harm", the woman said to Chris who walked to Queen's spot.

"It's alright, miss Queen. Roland was the one who fired the first shot, anyway", Chris said to the woman.

"Well, then, how 'bout we go see how boss is doing before the sun sets?", Ace said to the entire congregation. There were nods and murmurs of approval before they all walked into Budehuc's gates.

---------

"He's WHAT?!", a male voice rang out in the Budehuc castle's garden. The owner was Ace, and he was shouting at Tuta, the resident doctor.

"Uh…He was hospitalized yesterday night with several broken bones and lots of tissue damage. Nothing that will endanger his life or career, however", Tuta answered.

"Who could have beaten up Sir Geddoe that badly? In terms of physical combat, he's easily my equal", Leo pondered. Borus and Percival nodded. Geddoe had defeated Borus during the skirmish at the former Karaya village.

"Well, he is awake, and healing nicely. I must say, his constitution is incredibly high for him to be able to recover so quickly from such injuries. It's as if his body is already used to handling these sort of injuries many times before…In any case, he's healthy enough to answer questions if you want to talk to him", Tuta responded, checking Mio's medical charts once in a while.

Chris looked at Queen and Hugo. They both nodded and the group went into the ward, which was situated nicely behind the war room. 'Heh, the crack is gone', Jacques thought as they neared the ward, referring to the huge hole in the wall that was just patched up recently.

Geddoe looked up when the group entered, his left hand was in a cast, and his bare chest was wrapped with several layers of bandages. His right leg was suspended, a cast over the knee area. The group immediately rushed to his side and started asking questions almost all at once.

Joker: "What happened to you, Boss?!"

Leo: "How did you end up like this, Sir Geddoe?"

Borus: "Who could have done this to you?"

Ace: "Yo, you OK, Boss?!"

Hugo: "What in the spirits did you fight this time?"

Chris: "Does this mean there will not be a reunion?"

Louise: "Is there going to be a reunion?"

Percival: "Did you use the wrong lines to get a girl again?"

Roland: "I assume you are fighting a very strong enemy?"

Salome: "Were you using the rune?"

Aila: "Wow, what ran into you?"

Jacques: "………….does it hurt?"

Sgt. Joe: "Qua…."

Fubar: "Kweh…"

Queen: "………………I think everyone else asked what was on my mind already"

There was a minute of silence before Geddoe start to recount what happened the previous evening.

---

_Geddoe slashed diagonally at Juan's midsection. He was sure it would hit, since Juan's odd position leaves him with little choice in the manner of escape he could use. The hit should register right about…now!_

_His sword only finds air, however. Juan had lowered his body in an almost impossible way to evade the attack. He dropped his body and supported it with only his right foot. His whole body was vertical and his torso was mere millimeters from the ground. Geddoe's sword passed harmlessly in front of his face. As soon as the sword passed, he sprang up and grabbed Geddoe's right hand with his right arm, which was holding the sword, and pressed on it to incapacitate the weapon. His left arm came up in a reverse hammer strike towards Geddoe's head. Geddoe's left hand came up to block it and he shifted his body position and launched a right thrust kick at Juan's torso. _

_He landed the kick, but it was like hitting an empty sack. Juan had exhaled at the moment of impact and absorbed the blow, letting his body get thrown backwards to reduce the impact. He landed like a log, rolling to stop just meters from where he landed. He quickly got into another odd position. His left leg and right elbow supported his entire body, which was parallel to the ground. His head was placed on his right fist and his left was placed beside his waist. He looked like he was sleeping, but Geddoe knew better. He closed his distance carefully, not wanting to get another surprise._

_Juan sensed his opponent's hesitation to attack and decided to launch into action. He flew up, still in that horizontal manner, with his sides facing Geddoe as he rolled his body. Geddoe quickly put his sword up in anticipation of an attack. Juan's hands flew out and Geddoe could feel a barrage of strikes beating against his blade as Juan threw his rolling strikes. Geddoe waited until Juan's body was too low to throw an effective strike, then shot out with a swing towards Juan's head. Just as he removed his guard, he saw Juan's left leg coming up from the right side to hit his face, however, and he tried to cancel his swing and bring it aside to block the kick. It was too late, however._

_Juan's kick connected squarely with Geddoe's right cheek, and the latter reeled to the left from the blow. Juan had supported his head and body on his right arm and leg when his body descended, and thrown the left kick using the odd base as a support. Geddoe took several steps back and recomposed himself. He smiled. Not many people could land a blow that squarely on his face. He brought his sword up in preparation of another bout. Juan stood up this time and swayed like a drowsy man. The two stayed that way for a while. Without a warning, Juan launched himself forward. _

_He was in front of Geddoe in one breath. Geddoe reacted with a swift backslash. Juan rotated his whole body, following the direction of the slash, and dropped down just enough for the slash to pass just millimeters from his nose. He waited until Geddoe's face became open before he launched into a barrage of palm strikes towards Geddoe's head. He managed to get several good blows in before Geddoe pulled away._

_Geddoe staggered backwards, and Juan quickly grabbed his trailing left arm with his right hand. Before Geddoe could react, Juan had encircled his left arm with both hands and spun his whole body along the arm's length. Geddoe's left arm, caught in the twisting motion, couldn't withstand the pressure and there was a loud crack as his elbow was pulled out of its socket. Geddoe winced, but stood his ground. Juan's original intention to make him fall was halted there and he quickly untangled himself. He leaped back, but Geddoe was already rushing towards him. _

_The 2 fighters became black and blue blurs as Juan narrowly dodged Geddoe's sword swings. The electricity flowing through the sword singed his robe in places where the sword passed really, really close. Juan continued to dodge until he found an opening when Geddoe swung his sword past him. He quickly kicked at Geddoe's ribs, the left side. There were audible cracks as several of the ribs broke from the impact. 'Chainmail is useless in this situation', Geddoe thought to himself as he tried to _slash_ at Juan before he could get away. Juan's used the force of his kick to assist his getaway, however, and Geddoe slumped on his knees from the pain on his ribs. _

_Before he could get up, Juan swept along the ground and kicked his right shin. Geddoe was by no means a weak man, but the force of the full-body swing swept cracked his shin. He fell in a heap, and Juan did a flip, landing on Geddoe's torso. His body was sitting on Geddoe's right arm, effectively disabling it. His right fist was drawn back, and aimed at Geddoe's face, and he smiled lazily. _

_Geddoe knew it then. _

_He was beaten. _

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"Juan beat you? Damn…", Ace said once Geddoe finished recounting his battle.

"'Tis a battle I had hoped to see. Alas!", Leo chipped in. Geddoe smiled.

"…I am sure you would, sir Leo. As for the reunion, do not worry. I should be fully healed in a matter of days", Geddoe replied, switching the topic as rapidly.

"Well, that is good news. I can't wait to see everyone again", Hugo replied. Chris suddenly snapped her fingers and opened her mouth as if she just remembered something. The others turned to look at her.

"That's right, Hugo. Lily told me to remind you to bring some presents for her", she said to Hugo, who frowned.

"Why me?", he asked. Chris shrugged. She has no idea what goes on in that girl's mind either. Sgt. Joe chuckled, and this attracted everyone else's attention. "Is something the matter, Sgt?", Hugo asked again.

"No, no, nothing at all", the duck replied. 'Just thinking what a lady killer you have become....Yet I pity you…', he thought to himself. The others looked at him with frowns on their faces, but they decided to let it go and move on to the planning of the reunion.

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Juan yawned. He was at Mt. Hei-Tou. He just finished his training for the day and several golems could be seen…well, actually, the rubbles from several golems could be seen scattered all over the mountain floor. He himself was lying on top of the bodies of several wolves, boars, and birds. He looked like he was sleeping with his hands behind his head. He opened his eyes when he heard someone approaching him and turned in the direction of the sound.

"Oh, it's you", he said lazily when he saw Emily coming towards him. She looked around the mountain top, at the rubbles and the bodies of dead monsters.

"You did all this?", she asked. Juan nodded lazily and yawned. "What kind of techniques did you use? I've never seen you do this much damage with your usual techniques", she asked. Juan laughed lazily.

"If all I need to do is train the way I usually do…", he said, but was interrupted when Emily said, "You don't usually train. You sleep". Juan stopped for a moment, realizing she was right. Flushing slightly, he continued, "Well, I don't need to train here if all I do is train the way you do"

'Yeah, right', Emily thought. 'But he did train', she continued. She had come up here to check if he really was training. Considering the mess, he must have been training like a madman.

"Well, why are you here?", Juan asked. Emily's face turned a little red as she tried to think of a good reason.

"Er…I, I'm just…uh…wondering when the match will start?", she stuttered, thinking it was her lamest attempt yet. Juan, being Juan, didn't give a damn.

"Well, that's easy. During the reunion, of course", he said.

"What makes you say that", she asked. Juan sighed and slapped his head. 'She can be so stupid…', he thought silently to himself.

"Think about it, how many people will attend the reunion?", he asked her.

"More than a hundred, why?", she replied.

"Now, if you want to defeat someone and humiliate him, where is the best place to do it?", he asked again. Emily thought for a moment before the realization struck her.

"In a big crowd…", she said. "Like a reunion…", she continued. Juan nodded and closed his eyes.

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That's it for this chapter.

….Is it a little too long? I hope not.

Anyway, Thanks for the reviews. Good, bad, encouraging, and critical ones.

Just do me one favor. Don't quarrel in the review board, please.


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